Steering wheel



Nv. 3 1925- 1,560J34 cu w. BEcK STEERING WHEEL' C, W. BECK Nov. 31925;

STEERING 'WHE 'L Filed Nov. 6. 1924 2 Sheets-anan 2 Patented Nora i,

lo 'afirmas w. anan, or nnrnorr, monte-art; aesren'oa 'ro `hrnn nacn-,raos'r coaroan'rron, or nn'raorr, aircraft-aan, .a oonronarro'a or irronieaiv.

TIEtERINGi WHEEL.

i Application le Novemher lt, 19%.

To all whom it may (macera:

Be it known that li, CHARLES W. Back,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Detroit, in -the county of Wayne o and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Wheels, of which the follow1ng 1s a specification, reference being had theren to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generallyto Wheels and refers more particularly to steering Wheels of the built up. type that are designed for use in connection with motor Vehicles, boats and the like.

.P One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a Wheel .of this type having spider arms that are preferably tubular in form and are rigidly and permanently connected to a die cast hub piece.

Another object is to provide simple and effective means for preventing the molten metal from entering the tubular arms during the die Casting operation and` for materially 'reinforcing and strengthenng the joint between the hub piece and spider arms.

A further object is to provide a strong 'and durable wheel that -is simple in construction and. can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

With the above and other objets in view the invention consists in certain novel features of. construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully. described and particularly pointed out-n the appended claiins.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a top plan view of a steerng Wheel embodying m invention.

Figure 2 is a sectonal view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional vew taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. i

Figure 4 is a detail view of the uppernost stampng.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the lowermost stamping.

Figure is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of wheel.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6. v

VReferring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several' fviews, the numeral 1 designates a rim, preferably of Wood, supported upon a spider 2 which is preferably constructed enti-rely of metal and includes a hub piece and a plurality of radially extending arms 4.- As shown, the hub piece 3 is preferably cupshaped in form and is provided at its lower end with a relatively short neck portion 5' These stampings are preferably provided at the point of intersection with circularportions 9 and 10 respectively that engage an annular enlargement or flange 11 atpthe up er end of the hub piece and are provi ed with openings 12 and 13 respectively 'that register with the open upper end of the hub piece. The circular portion 10 of the lowermost stamping ispreferably embedded in a reduced annulark portion 14 of the flange 11, while the circular portion 9 of the upper` stamping is preferably embossed upwardly to receive the reduced annular portion 14 of the flange 11. To provide a convenient grip for the driver, both stampings 7 and 8 are preferably-tubular in form from the rim 1 to the flan e 11. As shown, the tubular portions 'of t e arms -are flared as shown at 15 and 16 respectively, for engagement with the flange 11 and rim 1, while the intermediate portions of the arms 4 preferably taper gradually from the flared portions 15 to the flared portions 16. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flared portions- 15 .preferably terminate at the inner periphery of the rim 1 and are` preferably provided with relatively short marginal flanged extensions 17 that are preferably semi-circular in form and engage correspondingly shaped recesses or pockets 18 in the rim 1. Suitable metallic reinforcing fillets 19 engage the extensions 17` inside the marginal flanges 20 and extend a short distance within the tapered portions of the spider arms 4, while suitable screws' 21 are preferably driven through the fillets 19 and the extensions 17 forfs'ecuring the arms 4 to the rim. Wooden segments 22 are preferably-placed in the recess 18 to conceal the screws 21 and fillets 19 after the'ar'ms have been attached to the .relatively vshort tongues or .flanges 26 that extend upwardly from the inner flared ends of the tubular portions of the arms 4. These tongues 26 are preferably bent around the p lower edges of the ring and are embedded in the flange 11 of the hub piece. To insure a rigid Connection between the ring 25, lower stamping 7, and hub piece 3, the ring 25 is preferably provided at its upper edge vwith an annular flange 27 that bears againstl the circular portion 10 of the lower stamping and is rigidly connected thereto by portions 28 of the hub piece that extend through 1 aligned openings 29 and 30 respectively-in the flange 27 and stamping 7.

In the process of Construction, the Stampings 7 and 8 are assembled upon the ring 25v and are secured thereto by bending the tongues 26 aroundthe lower edges of the ring. .The hub 3 is then cast upon the assembled ring and stampings to 'provide the finished spider. Thus, the spider arms l4 are secured to the hub piece 3 by a singleoperation.

From the foregoing description`it Will be readily apparent that the ring 25 eifectively prevents any of the molten metal of the hub piece from entering the tubular `portion 4 of the stamping during the die Casting operation. Moreover the ring 25 Coop'erates With the tongues 26 to secure the-spiderarms' 4 of the stampings 7 and 8 in assembled position.

In Figures 6 and7 I have'shown a slight modifieation in Which the spider arms 29' are preferably -formed from a single' sheet of metal which' has an opening Cut away at the centre thereof to provide a series of radially extending tongues 30. tWith this 'construction, the ring 31. surrounding the flange 32 of the hub piece lis preferably provided at its lower edges With relatively short radially extending projections 33 that extend into the inner 'flared portions 34 of 'the spider arms 29` and is :provided at its upper ed es With'an inwardly extending .37. and

annular ange 36, that is embedded in the hub piece 37 and thatis referably'provided With a m ai'ginaldepen ing flange 38. To provide a strong and durable connection between the spider arms and the hub piece,

the bottoms 39 of the hollow flared portions 34 of the arms are embedded in the hub piece preferablyq' extencl transversely thereof, W ilethe tongues 30` of the hollow flared portions"`34 are preferably bent over the annular flange 36 of the ring ,31 and against the depending marginal flange 38,

V-Toiinsure a rigidconnection, the tongues l30 ring 31, are provided with aligned openings 40, 41 and -42 'respectively Which receive' portions of the hub piece 37 during the l V die Casting operation. While it is believedl that-from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention Will be readily apparent, I desire to have it 'understood that -I do not limit myself to What is herein shown and descrbed, and that such Changes may be resorted to When desired as fall Within the scope of Whatis claimed..

What I Claim as my invention is: 1. Ina steering Wheel, a spider having a die east hub, a plurality of hollow radially extending arms, and a ring having portions extending into lthe hollow armsand having portions embedded in the hub.

2. In a steering Wheel, a spider having a die cast hub, a ring surrounding the hub, 'having` a flange 'embedded inthe hub, and a plurality of radially extending arms having portions secured to said flange.

3. In a steering Wheel, a spider having a die'cast hub, a'plurality of radially extending hollow arms, and a ring `surrounding the hub having` portions extending into the aris, and having a flange embedded in the 4. In a steering Wheel, a spider having a hub, a plurality of holloW arms secured thereto, and a reinforcing ring surrounding 6. In a steering Wheel, a spider having a plurality of hollow radially extending arms, a reinforcing ring having portions disposed Within said arms and having an annular flange, and a hub cast Within said ring and having portions ,extending through said flange.

7. In a steering Wheel, a spider having a ring, a plurality of radially extending arms having portions extending aboveand'below said riung, and a hub cast Within said ring and having portions extending through said arms- 8. In a steering Wheel, a spider having a ring, a-plurality of 'radially extending arms having portions extending above and below said ring, said ring having a flange, and a .hub cast Within said ring and having poriso' therein, said 'membe'sflhav'ing tibular po'- with a cast metal hub, .of a spide'ncluding t ionsJrojectihgfradially from thehub contwo crossed members having portions emstituting spider ams;V ,bedded in the' hub and having poi'tions'pro- 16 `10. lnosteering Wheel, the combination 'jeeting 'adially from' the hub `constitnting Q Witha cast metal hub, of a spiderincluding `Spider arms.

1 two c'ossed'membe's, one of said members V 12. In a steering Wheel, a spiderhaving 'a being ne'rnafnevfilyanehored-in the cast hub, l'ln'g, a plurfglll-f of radgally extendng arms Vthe other'member being sec'uredvto the' fi'st halng POI'filOIIS extelllng abvepnd .below 20 member,` and both members hwin'g tubula' Sall m ng, and a hll Wlfllln Said-ring having 10; portions projectihg''adiaHy from the hubja POI'tIOIEAabOYe Sald arms. o constituting Spider mm1` VA In test mokny whereof gfi'x mysgnature. 'll. In a 'steeriig Wheel, the' combinafiio'i' lCHARLES BEQK. 

